Why The Huddle

Tony was a passionate supporter of Celtic Football Club, from Glasgow, the city in Scotland where Tony was born. Celtic play football (soccer) in the top league in Scotland and their home is the 65,000 capacity Celtic Park.

Just before the start of every game, when the ground is full and the crowd are anticipating the kick off, the Celtic team form a huddle deep inside their half of the field. The captain uses this huddle to focus his colleagues on the game that’s about to start and on the role that each of them has to play in securing the victory that the fans expect.

The Celtic team do their Huddle before every game..

This huddle in turn inspires the crowd to raise their voices until it seems the grandstands shake. The Huddle has now taken on mythical proportions now, and when Celtic are winning an important game at Celtic Park, the fans themselves form a huddle – a huddle of 65, 000 people all linked arm an arm as a symbol of their strength, togetherness, focus and support for the team, the club and all that it means to Celtic fans past and present.

The team huddle in turn sometimes inspires the fans to do their own version during a game.

In 2012, when Tony’s family first walked in the Charlotte ALS walk, we decided to call our team – Tony’s Huddle and that name lives on in this place to join the fight against ALS and to promote a loving legacy in memory of Tony. As it happened, Tony has left behind a lovely and personal endorsement for the Huddle title. Unlike 2013, Tony wasn’t welle enough to walk in the @014 walk but he sent a message on social media on the morning of the walk. Just know that Tony is happy with his Huddle.